NOBU’S LONDON HOTEL IS COMING TO SHOREDITCH, IF NOT QUITE COMING SOON

We remember reading the news that Nobu Hotels, after its debut in Las Vegas, was ‘under construction’ in London, with the website happily listing it as ‘coming soon!’ along with Riyadh and a smattering of other destinations you knew or didn’t know are just aching for a sushi-inspired hotel.

Nobu Shoreditch aerial view

While things are progressing over on Willow Street in Shoreditch, the ‘coming soon’ has quietly disappeared, perhaps in acknowledgment that there is still some way to go before the expertly-sliced dragon rolls will be flying out of the kitchen here. The unappealing office block right behind the Hoxton Shoreditch was razed last year, revealing the long, thin plot the 156-room hotel will be built on. Earlier this year, we saw that after demolition came excavation, with a multi-story hole in the ground to make space for the future basement of the hotel.

Nobu Shoreditch exterior rendering

Letting go of that projected first quarter of 2016 opening (we’ve mentally shifted it to our list of 2017 London openings), we are curious how the renderings available will translate in reality. At its narrowest, the five-story hotel will open up to a small garden. Horizontal beams that run along the façade jut out like spikes, with underneath the diagonal glass a triple-height restaurant and bar. Not surprisingly, Nobu Matsuhisa will be responsible for all food and drink served in the hotel.

This being the hotbed of hotel activity that is Shoreditch, the Nobu plot backs up to another construction site, which will be the 125-room Great Eastern Street Hotel. Let’s see who finishes first, shall we?

[Renderings: Nobu Hotels]

Paul J DeVries
Paul J DeVries is a freelance travel writer and was previously a contributing editor for HotelChatter.com. Based in London, he knows the city's hotel scene inside out, while also covering the latest in destinations around the world. When not checking out a new hotel, he checks in on the airlines and inflight products that get you there.